United Benefit Advisors Insight and Analysis Blog

The Providing Affordable Coverage for Employees (PACE) Act amended the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and redefined small employers as those with 50 or fewer employees; it also gives states the option to expand the definition to include employers with up to 100 employees (or, practically speaking, those with 51 to 100 employees, also called "mid-size employers"). Prior to the ACA, all states defined small employers as those with 1 to 50 or 2 to 50 employees; however, many have passed legislation redefining the group size up to 100 employees beginning in 2016. States are now in the process of determining what they define as "small employer."

Beginning in 2014, small employers may choose to provide health coverage to their employees through a Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Marketplace. Here are the top 5 questions we hear about SHOP: